Hat basket



Dec. 69 1949 J. DELGAT-ro 2,490,508

HAT BASKET Filed March 22, 1948 IN V EN TOR.

BY Jaw/,A 594@ Patented Dec. 6, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HAT BASKET Joseph Delgatto, Lake Geneva, Wis.

Application March 22, 1948, Serial No. 16,189

2 Claims.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in hat baskets of a foraminated construction and especially adapted for use in the cleaning operation of a hat.

Prior to my concept it was the common practice in the cleaning of a hat to perform this cleaning operation by hand. This was accomplished by holding the hat in the hand and by applying by hand the cleaning compound thereto; or it was accomplished by placing the hat upon a block and then applying by hand the cleaning compound thereto. This operation involves considerable time and effort on the part of the operator.

My invention has for its principal object the provision of a hat basket within which a hat to be cleaned is loosely coni-ined so that the hat and the basket may be placed in the revolving drum of a clothes cleaning apparatus and subjected in the revolving of the drum to the cleaning compound. After this operation, the basket with the hat confined therein may be removed from the cleaning apparatus and placed with other hats or other garments in a centrifugal drying apparatus. At the completion of this operation, the basket is removed from the drying apparatus and the hat is ready for the blocking process.

Another and equally important object of the invention is to provide a basket for the purposes herein stated, which can be manufactured at an economical cost.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings showing the preferred form of construction, and in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of my improved hat basket showing the top portion thereof in partial open position;

Fig. 2 is a top plan View of the basket embodying my invention;

Fig. 3 is a sectional detail view taken substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

The several objects of my invention are accomplished by the preferred form of construction shown in the accompanying drawings.

My improved hat basket includes two complementary structures I and II, the structure I0 constituting a top hat covering lid and the structure I I a hat supporting base. Each of these structures is of a foraminated construction.

They each comprise an outer ring I2 providing, together with an inner ring I3, a rim. The inner and outer rings are spaced apart from each other by spacing bars I4. Connected to the inner rings I3 are crowns I5 and I6. The crown I5 is adapted to closely iit over the crown I6. Each of these crowns comprises spaced bars I8 properly spaced from each other by spacing rings I9. The rings and the bars may be connected together in any suitable manner, such for example by means of sleeves 20 formed in the bars.

'I'he lid and base are hingedly connected to gether as at 2I. A suitable latch 22 is carried by the outer ring I2 of the base II and is adapted for latched engagement with the outer ring I2 of the lid IIJ whereby to releasably latch the lid to the base.

In use, the hat 23 to be cleaned is arranged in the basket with the crown II thereof disposed between the crowns I 5 and I6 of the lid and base I D and II, and with the rim 24 of the hat positioned between the rims of the lid and base. The size of the lid and base is such that when the vhat 23 is confined in the basket with the lid latched to the base by the latch 22, there will be suflicient looseness between the hat and the lid and the base so that during the cleaning operation, the cleaning compound may be unobstructed in its movement over and in contact with all surfaces of the hat. If it were otherwise, the cleaning compound during the cleaning operation may not find its way beneath the bars.

As before stated, the basket with the hat contained therein is submerged in the cleaning compound with other wearing apparel or with other hats in a cleaning apparatus of the type usually o involving an agitator or a revolving drum. After the cleaning operation, the basket with the hat therein, together with other like baskets containing hats or with other wearing apparel, is placed in a drying apparatus usually of the centrifugal type. The basket maintains the shape and stability of the hat during both of these operations. If desired, however, after the drying operation the hat may be subjected to a blocking process.

By the arrangement of a hat basket constructed in accordance with the foregoing description a number` of hats may be cleaned in one operation. This is a great advantage over the single cleaning operation of hats as is performed by hand.

While I have illustrated` and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into eifect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish 3 to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1.A basket in which a hat is adapted to be conned during a cleaning and drying process comprisingtwo interfttingcomplementarystruc tures, one providing a' b'a'se upon which'the'ht is adapted to be mounted and the other a lidY adapted to t over the hat on the base, the said" lid and said base being of a size such as to permit'` freedom of movement of the hat therebetween, and said base and lid each comprising'concntiically arranged ring elements connectediftogether:

by spaced bars to provide a relatively flat rim and other bars connected to the inner of saidiring'* elements to provide a crown extending upwardly from' theV inner-ring-` element;

4 2. A basket in which a hat is adapted to be confined during a cleaning and drying process comprising two foraminated intertting complementary structures, one providing a base upon which the hat is adapted to be mounted and the other a lid adapted to t over the hat on the base, the said lid and said base being of a size such as to permit freedom of movement of the hat therebetween, a hinge connection between said lid `vand'sa;idb`ase,. and latchJ means for latching saidilid and' said base in interi-listing relation with respect to each other.

JOSEPH DELGAT'IO.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name n Date Chiniquy etal Sept. 22, 1914 Number 

